Considered one of Nicola Sturgeon’s prime civil servants has been caught on video telling colleagues his job is about “breaking apart” the UK.
Ken Thomson’s shock assertion has sparked calls from opposition MSPs for civil servants to focus on the price of dwelling disaster moderately than independence.
As Director-Common of Technique and Exterior Affairs, Thomson is without doubt one of the most senior civil servants in Sturgeon’s Authorities. His transient consists of constitutional points, exterior affairs and “intergovernmental relations”, successfully coping with Whitehall.
At an inner Authorities occasion earlier this month, dubbed “mastering the civil service craft”, he advised colleagues: “I’ll inform you a secret about why I’ve received ‘technique’ in my job description. It’s a phrase that will get me via some doorways in Whitehall, after which they uncover that what I’m truly there to speak about is breaking apart the Kingdom.”
Attendees laughed at Thomson’s comment, after which he mentioned: “So it’s a shorthand for constitutional change.” The recording of the occasion was handed to the Document and final night time sparked a livid response from opposition MSPs, who mentioned it raised severe questions over using civil servants to bolster the case for independence.
Labour MSP Sarah Boyack mentioned: “There are severe inquiries to reply about whether or not that is an acceptable use of time and vitality by the civil service.”
Boyack added: “The SNP’s constitutional obsession is perhaps the one factor that issues to them, however they can not let it derail the Scottish Authorities’s work.
“Which means management from the highest to deal with the price of dwelling disaster, and supporting and retaining our NHS workers who've saved us going via COVID should be their precedence to ship a fairer, greener Scotland. Greater than ever we'd like our two governments to work to ship for our constituents and companies who want sensible assist now.”
Thomson’s feedback got here within the days main as much as the Supreme Courtroom ruling final Wednesday, which rejected Holyrood’s authorized proper to stage indyref2. The Scottish Authorities has revealed papers by civil servants setting out a revised case for independence, however critics consider this apply ought to stop.
Figures revealed on Sunday confirmed that greater than £1.5m of taxpayer money could be spent on the salaries of civil servants tasked to work on the independence transient. It additionally emerged this week that prime Whitehall officers, together with partygate investigator Sue Grey, are analyzing the implications of the Courtroom ruling for Scottish Authorities civil servants.
A Scottish Authorities supply mentioned the administration was solely blocked from legislating on reserved issues however might nonetheless spend cash on independence. However the position of civil servants in planning for independence is now being questioned after Thomson’s remarks.
Pamela Nash, chief government of the pro-UK Scotland in Union, mentioned: “It isn't the job of civil servants, who all of us pay for, to agitate for the break-up of the UK. Listening to what was mentioned will affirm lots of the suspicions folks have in regards to the conduct of this SNP authorities.
“It’s no surprise the Scottish Authorities is failing so badly in so many areas when these are the priorities being pursued by its most senior representatives. Nicola Sturgeon ought to condemn this behaviour and provide assurances that this poisonous agenda won't infect different areas of the civil service.”
Scottish Lib Dem chief Alex Cole-Hamilton mentioned: “Mr Thomson ought to replicate on whether or not his feedback signify the excessive requirements of the civil service and whether or not it was acceptable to say this in entrance of extra junior workers.
“Nevertheless, it speaks to a tradition that stems from SNP ministers on the very prime. They're discovering ever extra creative methods to spend time and money on their bid to interrupt up the UK, when each spare penny and minute must be dedicated to the price of dwelling disaster and overwhelmed public providers.
“The feedback additionally replicate the dysfunctional relationship between the UK and Scottish governments. With large challenges dealing with Scotland and the UK, each administrations have to deal with collaboration, not division.”
Tory MSP Donald Cameron mentioned: “Everyone knows that the Nationalists’ technique quantities to nothing aside from breaking apart the UK, however civil servants shouldn't be boasting that it’s their job. Given the courtroom’s ruling, it’s unacceptable for taxpayers’ cash and civil servants’ time to be spent like this.
“When there are severe questions in regards to the SNP persisting with initiatives that might be outwith the Scottish Authorities’s lawful competence, that is one other instance of their deal with their very own constitutional obsessions.
“That's on prime of the truth that it has at all times been the mistaken precedence, given different urgent points, such because the cost-of-living disaster, which might be of far more significance to Scots.
“The SNP Authorities ought to drop their obsession and instantly commit these assets to addressing Scottish households’ actual wants.”
A Scottish Authorities spokesperson mentioned: “Throughout an hour lengthy Q&A session with Scottish Authorities workers on 17 November, the Director Common for Technique and Exterior Affairs made an off-the-cuff remark in response to a query about his job-title.
“As outlined throughout that session, the position of civil servants is to help Ministers in a method per the Civil Service Code, good authorities, organisational values and the democratic course of.”
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